Mathematics teachers' perceived instructional styles and their support of academic help-seeking in relation to their students' styles of help-seeking

Abstract

The present study focused on the role of teachers as helpers in relation to students' academic help-seeking styles (autonomous or dependent help-seeking). Middle-school mathematics teachers (N = 22) completed a questionnaire that assessed their instructional style and support for students, and middle-school students (N = 2,304) completed a questionnaire that assessed their help-seeking style, their perception of their teachers' instructional style, and teacher support. The results from a hierarchical linear modeling analysis were as follows : (1) Perceived teacher control instructions were related to dependent help-seeking, (2) interactive instruction was not related to autonomous help-seeking, and (3) teacher support was related neither to autonomous nor dependent help-seeking styles. Teachers' reports of their instructional style and support for students were unrelated to students' help-seeking styles.